According to a Times Picayune article of 10/17/14 by Cole Avery, 1400 immigrant children are putting a strain on Louisiana's financial ability to school those children as mandated by the federal government. Mary Quaid of House Legislature Services gave a report on the effects the children are having on the state and what actions are available to the House Select Committee On Homeland Security.
U.S. Senator David Vitter testified before the committee about the cost to educate the children and said, "the phenomenon of children crossing the border is a result of the federal government not inforcing the law and working towards amnesty." Bob Tasman, executive director of the Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops testified and said the answer to the problem is comprehensive immigration reform on the federal level and what we really need to do is advocate and use our voices to let the individuals in Washington know we need to set politics aside.
Vitter had an opportunity to cast aside the usual ditto head conservative blame game and say some thing constructive and failed the people he represents. Mr. Tasman's comment showed he understands the real problem and solution. Vitter well knows it is the Obama administration that has inforced our immigration laws better than the previous administration and placed more security guards on the border than ever before. He also knows the Obama administration has deported more illigal immigrants than any past President. And surely he knows the immigration reform bill passed by the U.S. Senate almost a year ago does not contain amnesty.
It seems that Vitter was the only one who testified before the committee that had nothing positive to offer. And now he says he will run for governor when Jindal's term ends. What a waste.
This commentary written by John Lucia.
